Certain sporting implements may be formed with a central portion or a core. For example, a hockey stick blade can be formed of a core reinforced with one or more layers of synthetic materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber or Aramid. Cores of hockey stick blades may also be made of a synthetic material reinforced with layers of fibers. The layers may be made of a woven filament fiber, preimpregnated with resin. These structures may include a foam core with a piece of fiber on the front face of the blade and a second piece of fiber on the rear face of the blade, in the manner of pieces of bread in a sandwich.
Cores of sporting implements may be subject to cracking or breaking over time. For example, a hockey stick blade core may crack during its normal use during play. This can induce a softening of the product, and may eventually lead to a break of the blade or stick. Nevertheless, adding a significant amount of material may increase the weight of the blade and stick, and the use of softer core materials may lead to breakage of the outer layer of the sporting implement because of the amount of movement of the outer layer allowed by the core. In the case of a hockey stick blade, this may also create a “trampoline effect” that may make the puck bounce off of the blade that is more than desired. Also the use of a harder material for the core, may in certain instances, be either be too fragile or too heavy. Moreover, omitting the foam core in a hockey stick blade may create a different “feel” of the stick to the player because of the lack of damping.